CPRA members along with residents from nearby societies have gathered at CPRA Greens garden to stage their protest against BMC.
Following an order issued by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started sending notices to organisations and associations taking care of various open spaces across the city. However, Cuffe Parade Residents Association (CPRA) has opposed the state government's policy of handing over their gardens to the BMC.
CPRA members along with residents from nearby societies have gathered at CPRA Greens garden to stage their protest against BMC. "Since past three decades, we residents have given our time, energy, and money to nurture this garden, BMC cannot just come and take it away from us and give it to a private contractor," said a Cuffe Parede resident Mrs. Ramanthan.
Along with banners and flexes that read 'Save our Greens', the residents also held a short candle march inside the garden premises. "We wanted to have a candle March outside, but according to section 144 of the CrPC Act, we cannot have a candle march close to Mantralaya building," said Mohit Chaturvedi, joint secretary of CPRA.
A major allegation against CPRA was that it prevents neighbourhood children, coming from slums, from entering the garden. "These allegations are completely false as most of the time there are kids from the slums playing and using the garden facilities," added Ramanthan.
The BMC has already acquired 76 of the 244 open plots that needed to be handed over. CPRA will have to handover the garden within seven days after they receive the notice. "We have written to the BMC and also met the municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta. We now need our voices to reach the CM's office," said Chaturvedi.
The CPRA spends an estimate of Rs2 lakh each month for the maintenance of the garden. "We have security guards, gardeners and maintenance staff to take care of our garden. We don't think anyone else could take as much care of the garden as we do," said Aditi Jain another member.
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